Hospitality
by Ana of Asgard
Summary: Post-Thor, and Pre-GotG. Gamora is a hardened, remorseless assassin. She has been trained as a weapon, skilled in the art of killing. She is the adopted daughter of Thanos, and she, of all people, shouldn't be feeling pity. Especially not for the green-eyed god of lies Thanos pulled from the Void... No pairings and no slash. Warnings for mentions of torture, and language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Okay, guess who it is. Yup, it's me again, Ana of Asgard. If any of you readers bother to read through this whole messed up Author's Note, then I will be surprised. If you go beyond that and review, I'll be touched and you will have literally made my day, AND I will probably make this a multi-chapter fic (5 chapters-ish) depending on how much people like it.**

 **Why am I not updating Of Thunder and Mischief? Well, about that…. *looks around with shifty eyes* I'm sort of braindead on that right now. Natalie Rushman, being the darling she is, sent me a bunch of AMAZING ideas, but I only got them after I was halfway through this story.**

 **How did I get this idea? Well, after watching the GotG (It's finally streaming on Netflix! Yay!), I got inspired by Gamora and her relationship with Nebula. In a way, it was sort of like Thor and Loki's broken relationship, though I imagine Thor and Loki were closer than Gamora and Nebula back in the day. I really wanted to write a Gamora and Nebula fic, but I knew I would never finish it unless Loki was in there somehow. Then I got an idea, if Loki got taken in by Thanos after he fell from the Bifrost, wouldn't Gamora and Nebula be there with Thanos? I'm a bit rusty on my Guardians of the Galaxy knowledge.**

 **Okay, I think I covered everything. PLEASE review, it's the reviews that keep me going! Thanks for reading, and enjoy!**

* * *

It was over a week before the screams began.

Gamora sharpened her knife, face a calm, serene mask as she impassively listened. The first time, it had horrified her, but Gamora had tucked her swirling feelings away after a look from Thanos. The second time, she knew it was coming but had much more efficiently hid her true thoughts.

This was what, the hundredth time? Gamora used to try to drown out the screams, but now she just listened to them with a strange mixture of pity and acceptance. Thanos' new victim was different, though. Gamora had expected the screams to start in a couple of days, if the idiot clung to his pride. Thanos loved it when they screamed, and the pain was usually over far more sooner.

Gamora had learned from experience.

However, this prideful fool had suffered silently, until Thanos finally broke him. Gamora felt a sting of regret as the first of the sounds started—she'd secretly been hoping for this one, that he'd hold out. The fact that he'd struggled through so far was an incredible feat in itself, though.

Gamora felt curious as to who this new, unfortunate prisoner of Thanos was. She made up her mind to go visit him. Later.

* * *

"Lady Gamora?"

The voice was frightened, but managed to hold itself together. Gamora eyed the Chitauri guard with disinterest, idly tossing the saccioku root in her hands up and catching it deftly.

"Yes?" she snapped at it, watching the Chitauri as though it were an insignificant piece of dirt. She'd never had much of a good opinion about the Chitauri. They were foolish cowards, and why Thanos bothered with them was a mystery to her. Well, not so much a mystery. The Chitauri were as numerous and annoying as ants, which was good for an army. They were terrible cowards and would rather flee from danger than fight it—the problem was, they were so stupid they never really knew if they were in danger or not.

"Lord Thanos did not say anyone could visit the prisoner," said the guard, his grotesque features wide with fear and amazement at his own daring.

Gamora raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" she asked calmly, but there was a thinly veiled threat underneath her nonchalant voice.

The Chitauri wasn't a complete idiot, however. "But I'm sure I can make an exception for you," came the hurried answer, and Gamora smiled thinly.

"Wise choice," she murmured sinisterly, enjoying the terror radiating from the guard. She placed her hand on the door, and with a flick of the wrist Gamora flung it wide open.

She had been mentally preparing herself earlier. The prisoner's appearance was going to be horrific, at the very least, and Gamora had conjured up the most revolting images she could to get herself ready for the less-than-delightful sight. Yet she had braced herself for a terrible image sprawled on the ground, that the sight that met her eye was so much more alarming.

The prisoner didn't even have a fleck of blood on him.

Not even the smallest little bruise. Gamora was practiced in the art of hiding her emotions, so she carefully masked her face over as she walked into the room. Yet her mind was whirling with questions.

She closed the door behind her, before leaning against the wall, biting slowly into the saccioku root. Gamora made her eyes flicker lazily over the prisoner, while in reality she was dutifully drinking in every detail.

He was chained up, his wrists cuffed and held above him, fastened to a long, thick link of iron that was driven into the wall. His ankles were chained together too, allowing only the smallest bit of moving room. The prisoner was dressed in a oak-green, light tunic that had black leggings underneath—simple enough clothing.

Gamora's gaze dragged up to his face. The prisoner's surprisingly handsome features were pale, accented with high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and his thin lips were curved into a mocking, derisive smirk. Black hair was carefully and meticulously smoothed back, and burning emerald eyes were boring into her dark ones.

But how the _hell_ did he manage to look to perfect and undamaged, instead of the mangled mess Gamora had imagined him to be? Then it struck her.

Thanos' latest prisoner was a _sorcerer._

Of _course._ It made sense, now. Gamora herself had no magic within her, but she knew a lot about it. It could internally heal at a rapid rate, too. Thanos loved those who could do that, and that explained why he chose _this_ one.

But it didn't make sense, though. He did healed himself far too fast….or did he actually heal himself? With a jolt, Gamora realized that it was probably an illusion shielding the prisoner. It most likely drew a lot away from his own healing, but then, it was his pride that refused to let him be seen in the pitiful state he probably was.

His clothing informed Gamora almost instantly that the prisoner was Asgardian. A proud Asgardian…well, that was nothing new. A proud Asgardian _sorcerer,_ that was something different. There weren't terribly many sorcerers on Asgard from what Gamora heard. Asgard considered sorcerers to be cowardly, so whoever _this_ was, he must've been an outcast. Was he? Or was Gamora jumping from one thing to another too fast?

"Are we just going to keep staring at each other?" began the prisoner suddenly, jerking Gamora out of her thoughts. "I can keep staring at you if you wish…it's just that you're getting the better deal of the bargain."

Gamora felt surprised at the cool, mocking way he spoke, for al of the _other_ prisoners she bothered to visit usually greet her with spit and curses. Despite herself, Gamora felt herself smile ever so slightly.

"We can talk," answered Gamora simply, taking another slow bite out of the sweet root.

"Let's start with names," said the prisoner. "Who are you?"

Gamora raised an eyebrow. "I'd have thought the answer was fairly obvious," she said, adding the lightest touch of surprise. "Why, I'm your room service."

He grinned crookedly, appreciating the humor. "Your rooms are not _quite_ to my taste," he commented, the understatement of the year. He then shook his chained wrists pointedly. "And I have had better bedding."

"Then I'll contact my manager," Gamora said sarcastically, playing along, "and we'll do our best to make your… _experience_ with us as comfortable as possible, Mr…." her voice trailed off, looking at the prisoner expectantly.

He watched her, carefully contemplating his answer. "Loki," he replied finally. "Nothing else. Just Loki."

"Loki," Gamora repeated, testing out his name and getting the feel of it. The name was ringing faint, distant bells in her head. She'd _heard_ it somewhere, but where?

Gamora prided herself on her strong memory, and she was _going_ to figure out who Loki was. She studied him, painstakingly filing the facts she'd noticed about him.

 _Sorcerer. Asgardian. Strong sense of pride….sarcastic, clever._ Gamora eyed him again, watching the almost elegant way Loki managed to slouch against the wall. The strong, angular features of his face, the almost demanding way he spoke, the prideful lift of his head. This was someone who'd tasted finer life, Gamora guessed. A noble? A lord?

Then it struck her.

Loki _…Odinson._ The Prince of Asgard, though not quite as famous as his brother Thor. He was commonly referred to as the god of mischief, the Liesmith, the trickster. There wasn't much good said about him, at least not as much as the golden, handsome Thor.

"You lied," said Gamora, not accusingly. "You said that you were 'just Loki,' but you're not. You're Prince Loki Odinson of Asgard, aren't you?"

Loki didn't seem stunned by her declaration. "Nay," he contradicted quietly, "not anymore." Then Loki considered what he'd said. "Forget what I just said," he amended, "I was never an Odinson in the first place."

Gamora didn't press, and she glanced curiously into his eyes. Eyes revealed the most emotion in a person, Gamora had figured out, yet Loki's entire face was blank and expressionless. He may have said it to wring pity from her, but even if he had, Gamora didn't waste any of her sympathy on him. When it came to family problems…well, Gamora had quite a few. She didn't bother sympathizing with Loki, fine, maybe she felt the tiniest bit of understanding for him.

Did he find out he was adopted? wondered Gamora. That was the only thing that made sense, anyway. If his father had died, then Loki wouldn't disown him. Anyway, Gamora doubted Loki would open up to _her._

"How did you end up here, enjoying Thanos' _hospitality_?" Gamora said, changing the subject. Loki smiled faintly.

"It's a long story."

Gamora pulled for the interrogation chair that was always in the corner of that cell. But she wasn't really interrogating him, not really. "I've got all day," she replied.

Loki narrowed his green eyes, probably mentally debating whether or not to tell her. He chose the former. "Very well, I'll tell you," Loki said, and so he did.

He started from the beginning, about his brother's coronation. How Loki let the Frost Giants into Asgard to stop Thor being crowned king, and how Loki carefully planned for Thor and his friends to recklessly run off to Jotunheim, then about Odin's rescue. Next he told her about Thor's banishment to Earth, hammer-less and powerless. Loki's discovered adoption, how Loki managed to seize the throne, Loki's betrayal of Laufey—his biological father, his near victory over Thor using the Destroyer, the battle on the Bifrost, and finally, when Loki let go and fell into the Void. He told her all of it.

It was strange, the way Loki recounted the events. Not emotionally. When he spoke of his adoption, Loki simply said it. And he didn't tell her any of his reasons behind his mad urge to kill Thor, or why Loki ruined Thor's coronation in the first place. Loki didn't bother excusing himself, but he didn't excuse Thor, either. It was like hearing from a history book, or a neutral party.

So Gamora couldn't really said she'd gotten Loki to open up to her, because he hadn't. He stated the facts, facts that could be uncovered easily enough if Gamora knew the right places to look.

"Why did you ruin Thor's coronation day in the first place?" Gamora asked, not expecting an honest answer. Once again, she was surprised when Loki answered at all.

"Because I knew he wasn't ready," Loki said firmly. "Thor made brash decisions, and was an arrogant fool, guided by his heart and not his head. He was too proud and too rash to become king, and Frigga and Odin were blinded by their love for him to see it."

"I'm supposing the arrogant foolishness runs in the family," teased Gamora, looking at Loki.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "You forget I'm not part of their family," he said, and Gamora didn't reply.

Her gaze was drawn to Loki's feet, which he tried to hide without seeming to hide them. They were no longer booted, but now they were bare, bloody, and raw, and the flesh was burnt. Gamora didn't flinch, but she looked up at Loki. His magic must be depleting, she realized, and felt a spark of pity.

Loki wanted to hold on to his pride, at least for a bit longer. Gamora didn't want to strain him anymore, and she respected his wishes. "I'd better be going now," she said, abruptly standing up.

"Room service," called out Loki when Gamora was halfway to the door. She didn't turn, but paused waiting.

"You didn't tell me your name," said Loki. Gamora smiled faintly.

"Gamora," she answered. Then she put her hand on the doorknob, and slipped out silently, leaving behind no evidence of her being there at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Thanks to Sky-Girl1999 for her review! And to all of you other sorry, ungrateful readers who don't review, grr…..**

* * *

Gamora paused behind the door, face serene but insides thumping. Why had Thanos sent for her? Another mission, perhaps?

Who am I kidding, Gamora thought with a sigh. It wasn't the thought of a mission that had her nervous, it was the thought of Thanos'...discipline. Whenever Thanos felt she had failed at something, or simply felt like it, Thanos would torment her, claiming it would make her stronger. Gamora knew what it was really for, to provide her with a fresh fear of Thanos.

A terrifying, inhumane howl brought her out of her thoughts. Thanos wouldn't do anything to her now, Gamora thought in guilty relief, because he had someone else to draw screams from. Loki.

A string of obscenities were hollered out in a raw voice, damning Thanos to the worst part of hell. Gamora listened uneasily as there was a stomach churning silence, then a peal of booming, hair-raising laughter from Thanos and a scream for Thor, pleading for Thor to rescue him and then cursing him in the next breath.

Gamora decided she didn't really want to see Loki suffering whatever tortures Thanos had concocted. But there wasn't much of a point in not going, because when Thanos sent for you, there was no choice other than going.

She waited until the sounds stopped before stepping into the large, dimly lit room, eyes drawn to Nebula. Her adopted sister was half-dragging, half-supporting a mangled figure, that turned out to be Loki.

Gamora averted her eyes, not staring at him in pity or sneering at him. Instead, she firmly fixed her eyes on Thanos, but she could still see Loki out of the corner of her eye.

Needless to say, he was in terrible shape. The skin off his back was half burned off with acid, his shoulder most likely dislocated, face matted with blood. His arms were bleeding and cut all over, and the bruising on his chest led to the conclusion that his ribs were either cracked or broken.

But to Gamora, that wasn't the worst of it. The wild look in his face was something you don't usually see, a look of raw terror. Gamora knew what caused it-Thanos' mind torture. Thanos could see deep into your mind, exploiting your weaknesses and fears, then bring them to life.

But the physical bruising was probably the Chitauri, not Thanos. The Chitauri were either attempting to gain information...or just doing it for fun.

Nebula certainly didn't have a scrap of pity for Loki. She dragged him mercilessly out, flashing Gamora an unreadable look before disappearing.

"You sent for me?" Gamora kept her tone even and low, turning up to Thanos.

"Yes," Thanos answered, eyeing her. "I need you to interrogate Loki."

Gamora kept her composure calm as she calmly raised an elegant eyebrow. "Isn't that what you were just doing here?" she asked, voice indifferent as she gestured vaguely around the room. She just managed to not cringe at the er, _devices_ lying on the ground.

"The stubborn fool won't reveal a thing," snapped Thanos. "I can uncover other bits of useless information, but he jealously guards the secrets mandatory to me. Laufeyson knows of multiple ways into Asgard that avoid the gatekeeper's eye, yet he refuses to give them to me. You'd think that his loyalty to Asgard would've run out by now."

Gamora was pretty sure it wasn't loyalty to Asgard that stilled Loki's tongue, but pride. If someone bribed her with credits to reveal Thanos' secrets, then after some bargaining, Gamora would accept. But on the other hand, if someone tortured her to get the information out of her, then Gamora would seal her lips tightly.

But she played along for Thanos' sake. "If you can't do it," she answered coolly, allowing a trace of irony to escape though her voice, "how can I?"

"Befriend him," said Thanos slightly impatiently. It really was Gamora's job to figure all this out. "Seduce him, perhaps?"

Privately, Gamora doubted Loki would be easy to seduce. He was too clever for that. And befriending….there was a slim chance of that working. But Thanos was getting annoyed now, and it would be best for her to just agree and work out the details later.

"Very well," Gamora said, nodding in acknowledgement before turning around and walking over to Loki's cell.

* * *

"Where is the passage to Asgard?"

When Loki stubbornly refused to answer, he braced himself for the pain to follow. Sure enough, it did. A booted foot kicked into his side, slamming him into the wall as Loki bit his tongue, forcing himself not to cry out.

He mentally ran over his injuries. He'd broken at least two ribs, his shoulder was dislocated, and God knows how many fingers were broken. But Loki wasn't going to open his mouth, not unless he _chose_ to. He will never _have_ to reveal his secret passageways. He may chose to, but Loki would never be forced to reveal his deepest secrets.

"Let's try something _easier,_ " hissed Blue in his ear. "Tell me, who is Thor?"

Loki knew he was just being stupid not answering _this._ It was easy enough information to obtain, but Loki was in far too much pain to speak now, and he didn't want to anyway. He could be as stubborn as Thor when he wanted to, and he could be even more obstinate in some cases.

He regretted his decision as Blue painfully dug her foot into an old injury, pressing on it firmly and slowly. Loki closed his eyes as white-hot pain flashed before his eyes, and by biting on his tongue Loki managed to not cry out in pain. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Loki managed, smiling and displaying two rows of bloodied teeth.

Blue just snarled and dug harder, and Loki resisted the urge to inhale sharply, knowing it would only cause more pain to his ribs.

"Nebula!"

So that was her name, Loki mused, as Blue, no, _Nebula_ stepped back, dark eyes narrowed. The girl Loki had spoken to earlier, Gamora, was standing in the doorway.

"Are you trying to kill him?" Gamora asked in disgust. She jerked Nebula back harshly, and Nebula wrenched her arm free. "Thanos wants him _alive,_ you fool. Stop killing him for useless information. We already _know_ who Thor is."

Nebula snarled at Gamora, but to Loki's reluctant relief, Nebula turned around and walked away. Gamora's eyes fell on Loki, who just raised a brow at her. There was something odd about her, Loki noted. The way she looked at him, the way her eyes roamed over his body….

Surely she wasn't, no, she couldn't possibly.

But that gave Loki an idea. What was Thanos thinking? They may have taken away his armor, they may have stripped him of all his weapons. But Loki still had his greatest weapons. He had his words. And now, Loki had a plan.

Loki was going to seduce Gamora.

* * *

Gamora watched Loki, wanting to back down. But she'd come this far, and she wasn't going to run away. How hard could this really be?

"You must excuse my sister," Gamora said, walking over to him. She swayed her curvaceous hips as she walked over to him. She pretended not to notice as Loki used an illusion to hide his bloody body, but fixed her eyes on his. "She tends to get a bit… _excited._ "

Gamora leaned against the wall and slid down until she was sitting next to Loki. "You didn't need to use an illusion," she said mildly. "It depletes your magic, right?"

Loki shrugged. "I didn't want a nice girl like you being horrified," he answered calmly, gazy slowly sliding down her and then crawling back up to her face. Gamora managed to just not freeze. Was Loki actually _falling_ for it?

Gamora looked at Loki incredulously, and Loki got the hint. "But I'm guessing you've seen stuff like this every day of your life," he said, voice smooth and expressionless, but his eyes were dancing. "Not such a nice girl, then, mm?"

Loki leaned over to her, face only inches away from her own. Gamora had no choice but to stare into his face. His face was too flawless and unmarred to be real, striking features that had been stolen from an angel—all sharp cheekbones, ivory skin, and dark lashes framing burning, ice-green eyes.

"An assassin, a killer, a spy," Loki was murmuring, vivid emerald orbs fixated on her lips, voice low, enticing, and poisonous. "So many people's lives destroyed, because of _you._ How many hours of sleep have you lost over all _that_?"

 _More than you know,_ Gamora thought bitterly. But she had to play along, for she'd made it so far. "I'd be prepared to lose a few with you," she implied temptingly, coyly fluttering her eyes shut as she leaned over.

She expected Loki to lean back, laugh, or maybe allow the kiss to happen for a few seconds. What Gamora had _not_ expected, however, was a kiss back.

Loki's lips were cold and surprisingly soft. Gamora felt the urge to lean back, to turn away, but she needed to continue with the ploy. She entangled her fingers in his messy, long black hair, drawing his closer into the crushing embrace.

And to her alarm, Loki pressed his lips back firmly, taking ahold of the situation that was rapidly flying out of Gamora's control. His tongue had already slid into in her mouth, and Loki's hands were roving up and down her back, kissing passionately.

It was at that moment that Gamora realized, it was all an act. This was terribly out of character for Loki himself to do, unless he _himself_ was attempting to seduce Gamora. It all made sense, too, his lustful gaze, the low, alluring ring in his voice. Loki was trying to seduce Gamora, and Gamora was trying to seduce Loki.

She opened her eyes, and by the look on Loki's face, he had figured it out, too.

Loki instantly pulled away not long after that, and to Gamora's surprise, Loki began laughing heartily. The laugh was not malicious or cruel, it very well could've been a child laughing at some harmless amusement.

The irony of it all struck Gamora too, and she laughed, leaning back against the wall. They laughed until their sides ached, more than the situation called for, really. The laughter held a slightly hysterical edge to it, and it probably wasn't very healthy. But laughter had been scarce in his place, and Gamora was laughing mainly for the sake of laughing.

But there was a limit, and they soon quietened, wearing amused smiles on their faces. Gamora spoke first. "When did you figure out I was acting?" she asked finally.

"Sometime after I started kissing you back, and you didn't pull away," Loki answered. "How about you?"

"When you kissed me back," Gamora said. The truth was, she'd figured it out when their tongues started getting involved, but she felt awkward saying it aloud. Loki seemed to understand what she meant, though, and he grinned.

"Where did _you_ learn to be such a good kisser?" he teased her. Gamora rolled her eyes.

"I've had practice," she said, and didn't elaborate. After another pause, though Gamora spoke again. "Where you planning to get me to help you escape?" she asked soberly. Loki took a moment to answer.

"No," he said honestly. "I doubted you'd do that, because you're too smart for that. I just decided that if I'm going to be living in this hellhole for a while, I might as well get some… _pleasure_ out of it." Loki wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Mmm," said Gamora, staring off into the distance. They didn't speak for a while, just sitting in silence. Finally, Gamora got to her feet.

"I have to go now," she said, nodding to Loki. Loki barely acknowledged her leaving, lightly tipping his head before gazing at the ceiling.

"Room service!" Loki called again for the second time, and Gamora waited. "I get bored," Loki drawled lazily, but Gamora sensed something _Loneliness? Fear?_ underneath. "Do come and visit, won't you?"

"Yes, if you want," Gamora said, before turning around and leaving, every intention to keep good on her promise.

* * *

 **Anyone catch the Iron Man ref? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - You guys are amazing! Thanks to Midnight, Dawnstorm101, MaRiA.Z.A, and Sky-Girl1999 for their sweet, thoughtful reviews!**

 **Midnight - Thanks! That very thought was what inspired me to write this very story, in fact. I'm glad it lives up to your expectations, and yes, omg, LOKI AND GAMORA are so cute! I'm resisting the urge myself to pair them up, just barely too. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Dawnstorm101 - Thank u so much! Yeah, I assumed Gamora must've run into Loki at least** ** _sometime_** **.**

 **MaRiA.Z.A - Thank you! I do my best :)**

 **Sky-Girl1999 - Thank you! And although there isn't any in this chapter, I already have a funny little line Loki will say next chapter about their 'room service' nickname!**

 **Okay, back to the Author's Note. This chapter is a little….** ** _short._** **But If I cram this chapter with the next chapter, then it'll be too long. At least, that's what I think. If you guys thought it was going to be a long-fic, I'm sorry to disappoint. If everything goes as planned, not including this chapter, there are three more chapters left. Yup, I hit the halfway mark with this baby ;)**

 **This chapter didn't turn out the amazing way I hoped, and I struggled through this one. I feel really insecure about this one, more so than the others, and some reviews would really be appreciated, criticizing or complimenting! But if you're going to point out my flaws, pls give me tips on how to fix my mistakes. I HATE people who criticize but then don't help you get better…**

 **This didn't have a beta, people, so if there's grammar errors DON'T hesitate to tell me. I would appreciate it very much!**

 **There's more notes at the end of the chapter. I'm done now, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Are the new cameras installed?"

Gamora walked briskly down the hallway, the Chitauri general next to her struggling to keep up. "Yes, my lady," he answered nervously. "They are installed and ready to use."

"Good," Gamora said distractedly, enjoying the terror radiating from the Chitauri. Her thoughts flickered back with pride to the security cameras she'd snagged from some other planet. They were high-tech, and so much clearer than the old ones, and Gamora was eager to use them.

She pushed open the door to the security room, shutting them behind her with an overly-dramatic gesture. Her calculating gaze swept the room, maliciously smiling at the Chitauri guards in there.

"Leave," Gamora ordered coldly, and the Chitauri eagerly scurried from the room like frightened rabbits, shutting the door behind them. Now, Gamora was alone.

These screens were so much better from the last ones. She could see what was going on in so much more vivid color and detail, and the images from the last cameras were grainy and blurred. Gamora flipped through the screens idly, not really expecting to see an intruder or anything suspicious. No one was foolish enough to come to Thanos' planet.

Where is Nebula? she wondered. Gamora couldn't find her on any of the screens, and that must mean that Nebula was on a mission.

But there's still one screen Gamora hasn't checked, and that's Loki's cell.

It turns out, Nebula _wasn't_ on a mission. She was opening the door to Loki's room, holding a tray of food. Nebula stormed in, gaze falling on Loki, who was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, just like Gamora had left him. Right before Nebula had seen him, Loki had covered himself with an illusion, so now he was dressed simply in his familiar green tunic.

"Eat up, little prince," Nebula said, carelessly putting the tray on the ground and kicking it over to him. Loki stopped its movement with the tip of his booted toe.

"Where's Gamora?" he asked calmly, eyeing her as though she were a book for him to open and read. Gamora felt herself raise an eyebrow at Loki, even though he couldn't see her.

Nebula scowled at him, but Gamora was surprised when she bothered to answer. "Probably on some mission," she muttered, voice portraying an alarming amount of bitterness as she frowned at Loki. "Why do you care so much, anyway?"

Loki shrugged. "Maybe I find her face more appealing to look at then yours," he said with a smirk.

Gamora winced. Nebula had an infamous temper than flared up easily when provoked, and Loki wasn't going to enjoy being on the end of it.

Nebula clenched her fists tightly at her sides, inhaling and exhaling sharply as she glared at Loki. But obviously, she didn't consider him worthy of her time, so Nebula turned and prepared to leave. But Loki wasn't done with her.

"Are you jealous, Nebula?" Loki asked, voice quiet. Nebula's back went rigid, and Gamora's eyes narrowed. What _exactly_ was Loki doing here? He was dancing dangerously to the edge of Nebula's patience. But Loki wouldn't antagonize her without a plan…. _Oh, Nebula, please leave,_ Gamora mentally pleaded. Loki was the master of words, if what was said about him was true. Nebula was wandering into a trap.

But of course, Nebula didn't leave. "Why the hell would I be jealous of Gamora's face?" Nebula snapped sarcastically, whirling around to Loki. Instead of answering with a witty reply, Loki's voice was still quiet and almost sympathetic. Suspiciously so.

"Not of Gamora's face," Loki said patiently. "But jealous of the way Thanos favors her over you. The way he sends her on more missions, and trusts her more. The way Gamora always does better at you in everything."

Nebula was completely frozen now, and Gamora was in a similar state. She was hunched over the screen, eyes locked on Nebula's face. _Laugh it off and walk away!_ Gamora screamed mentally. Loki's lying, of course he is. Why would Nebula be _jealous_ of her?

"You're a fool," Nebula managed. "You know _nothing_ about me."

"I know _everything_ about you," Loki said, and he was up on his feet in one graceful motion. "I know how you feel. You play you're the emotionless, careless machine that doesn't care about _anything._ " His eyes narrowed. "But that's not the way you are inside, is it, Nebula?"

Nebula was attempting to gather herself together. "Damn you," she hissed. "I've leaving."

Loki didn't stop her, but his voice grew louder. "Let's take Gamora for an example, shall we?" he asked. "You pretend she's just another person, and you couldn't care less if she died." Loki laughed almost bitterly. "That's not the way it always was, was it? You wanted her love and attention. No, you _craved_ it. You wanted Gamora to be your friend, your sister."

"And when she ignored you," Loki went on, "you could handle it. But not when Thanos favored her over you, right, Nebula? You were pushed away to the background. Gamora was always better, always stronger. So you built up walls around yourself, harboring jealously and hatred against Gamora, so intense you would kill her if given the opportunity."

"That's not all," Loki's poisonous, acid words ran out, "easily, you could push Gamora off a cliff. But that love isn't quite gone, right? You'd push her off a cliff, but then you'd dive after her to save her. You'd stab her through the stomach, then take an bullet for her the next moment."

Loki was walking closer to Nebula, who couldn't move. "You're a mess, Nebula, an emotional wreck. You're drowning in an abyss, and there's no way for you to come out. The only person who could save you, couldn't care less about you." Loki spat at the ground. "Everything you do, you try to win her attention and praise. But I'm telling you now, Nebula, to _stop trying._ You'll never be enough."

Loki's face was now inches away from Nebula's face. "I know you, Nebula," he hissed, "because you're _me._ "

Gamora's world tumulted around her, and her pulse was throbbing. Surely Loki was lying. But if he was, why did Nebula look like that, with that strange, afraid expression of naked fear on her face?

Gamora's brain refused to believe it, but she eventually had to accept that Loki was speaking the truth, or at least what he believed was the truth. But Loki had to sacrifice so much to say all that. He'd torn through all of Nebula's carefully built defenses—at the cost of his _own_ defenses being torn away. Was that how Nebula, and Loki, really felt?

 _The only person who could save you couldn't care less about you._ Gamora ran those words over in her head, resisting the urge to shudder. She immediately put herself on the defensive, _Of course I care about Nebula!_

This was getting too…emotional for Gamora. She sat up abruptly, not needing to look at the screen to know that in the corridor outside, Nebula was sobbing into her hands.

* * *

 **A/N - I know, I know! This chapter is really cringe-worthy, right? My thoughts for this chapter were so beautiful and emotional, I cried just thinking about it, but when I wrote it down you can obviously tell it lost a lot of its charm. I'm sorry :( I started writing this chapter, then when I finished I realized I'd unconsciously patterned it after that BEAUTIFUL scene in GotG Vol. 2. At first I was ashamed of myself for copying, then I realized that this was** ** _fanfiction_** **and I could do whatever the hell I want (excuse the language, people). Anyway.**

 **Okay,** ** _maybe_** **I made Nebula a little too emotional. Can she even cry, anyway? I don't know. But who cares? I couldn't make Gamora start to regret everything and start being all sugary to Nebula, b/c then the GotG movie won't turn out the same. This story is not AU. It probably didn't happen the way I mapped it out, but hey, it could've, right?**

 **So there's three more chapters. I'm super excited for the last one, I have an awesome idea for it…..anyways. I'm thinking of writing another fic about Gamora & Loki, because they're just so damn ****_cute_** **together! The problem is, I have no idea where to start. Any ideas would be much appreciated!**

 **If anyone out there even cares, I was listening to 'Who Says?' by Joshua Micah while writing this chapter. It's a really inspiring song, and I would encourage you to all check it out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Just as you expected, I have an excuse for my delay. But hey, it's a** ** _good_** **excuse. There was something wrong with the website, and the damn thing wouldn't let me post. If anybody got desperate and found the same story on Ao3, don't freak out, it's me. Sky-Girl1999 was sweet enough to tell me :) and a great big virtual hug to her! Yes, I finally got an Ao3 account, and I'm super excited, because a lot of good stories are there and I want to keep track of them through the bookmark thingy they have. My username there is Leiana, and that's where I get the Ana from Ana of Asgard. Unnecessary, obvious fact. Okay, moving on.**

 **Midnight: You're welcome! I totally understand, before I got an account I loved to be acknowledged by the writers. I had a problem on my laptop too, so you have my sympathies :) And thank you SOOO much for your support on my last chapter! A bunch of people on Ao3 were telling me that Nebula was too soft and blah blah blah, and they convinced me to change it….but when I reread your review I decided to do it my way! I really hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Now readers, here's the next chapter! There will be 2 more chapters after this one, so stay tuned!**

 ** _Three Months Later….._**

Gamora paused outside the familiar door leading to Loki's cell. Thanos had been surprisingly careful to _not_ kill Loki, and now Gamora was used to the green-eyed trickster's presence.

They had a strange, complicated relationship going. Everyday Gamora would visit Loki, some visits longer than others. There were days Thanos sent her off on missions, but somehow Gamora managed to squeeze in at least five minutes of visiting Loki.

What would she really do there? Gamora honestly didn't know. There were times when neither of them would speak, just the two of them sitting next to each other in companionable silence. And there were other times when they would just chat about regular things, and Gamora discovered they had a lot in common.

With a squirm of embarrassment, Gamora remembered the time she kissed Loki. That wasn't the only time, actually. Gamora had brought a little bit of wine, and after hesitantly downing a few glasses, they weren't exactly drunk—they were too cautious for that—but they were one step away. Soon they were arguing over who was the better kisser, and then Gamora had kissed Loki.

At the end of the passionate kiss, Loki was forced to admit that Gamora was the better kisser. She'd seduced countless people, and was better trained at that than Loki, and Gamora wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or a good thing.

Gamora liked hearing about Loki's childhood. Having been brutally stripped of her own, hearing about others' made her fantasize about what her _own_ childhood would've been like. But it was all just a cruel, untrue lie.

Loki would tell her about the adventures he'd had while he lived on Asgard. Loki was a very good storyteller, and if Thanos had been merciful during their 'sessions', Loki would have enough strength to pull up some illusions. He steered clear of the subject of Thor, but it soon grew fairly obvious that a great many of Loki's better stories had Thor involved somehow.

So he opened up to her. Hesitantly, cautiously, but he did it. It have Gamora a strange sense of pride, that _she'd_ be the one Loki would confide in. Gamora never pushed, but allowed him to recount of Thor and Loki's daring, and often humorous, escapades.

It was odd the way Loki spoke of Thor. Normally, Loki spoke calmly and evenly, as though his busy, golden, adopted brother was just another person.

And there were _other_ times. Times when Loki would get emotional about Thor. The first time it happened, Gamora had been delighted and thought she had gotten lucky. Loki had honestly—or so it seemed—all her questions, with a raw look on his face. Gamora remembered the day like it was yesterday.

 _"So how did you feel about Thor?" Gamora asked, hugging her knees. "I mean, not now, obviously. Back in the day."_

 _Gamora expected Loki to just brush her off, but she was surprised when Loki answered. "My feelings for him were…mixed," Loki admitted quietly, a vulnerable look on his face. Gamora perked up without seeming to._

 _"I loved him," Loki admitted, emerald gaze distant as he stared at the wall. "Nearly all brothers do in the beginning, I believe. I was ten months younger than him, but to him it might as well have been ten years."_

 _Silence. Gamora got the impression Loki didn't want to be pushed, so she waited with bated breath, hoping Loki wouldn't close himself off like before._

 _"I idolized him when we were children," Loki went on softly. "He was my statue on a golden pedestal. I tagged behind him, almost worshipping him. And Thor in turn made himself my designated guardian." Loki laughed hollowly. "Where I was, there Thor was. Where Thor was, there I was."_

 _"Our bond didn't grow any less as we grew older," Loki said. "We were the perfect pair. We both loved each other, we teased each other, we fought for each other."_

 _Loki swallowed hard. "But I became more and more of a shadow," Loki murmured. "Thor was the perfect golden prince. I was the odd, pale, black-haired prince who used magic and tricks instead of honorable weapons like the sword. I'd sit in the library while others preferred sparring, and it was obvious Odin favored Thor over me. I guess I snapped when Odin said Thor would be king. I tried telling him or Frigga that Thor wasn't ready, but no one took me seriously."_

 _"I bet they do now," Gamora said wryly. She was quiet for a moment. "Why do you hate Thor so much?"_

 _Loki sighed. "When we were younger, it was all jealousy and resentment," Loki answered. "Your sister Nebula would understand that, more."_

 _Gamora shifted uncomfortably, not wanting this to be turned over to her. "Not why_ did _you hate Thor so much," Gamora said. "I asked why_ do _you hate Thor so much."_

 _It was obvious Loki knew what she'd meant, but he clearly didn't want to answer. "It's stupid, really," Loki shrugged, shaking his head. "You'd think I'd hate Thor with a burning hatred after all that he's done to me. But I don't." Loki smirked. "You could say I hate Thor for not giving me a reason to hate him."_

 _Loki kept on speaking, voice growing frustrated. "I should hate him, and I do, but he's just so_ Thor _and it's impossible for me to hate him." Loki suddenly laughed. "I'm probably making no sense right now."_

 _"No, I get it," Gamora replied. And she did._

 _Gamora didn't press anymore, and they sat together in silence until she got up to leave._

 _"Gamora?" Loki said softly, surprisingly not using his regular nickname of 'room service'. When Gamora turned to him expectantly, Loki nodded his head. "Thank you," he said._

 _Gamora just smiled, and headed out the door._

Gamora wasn't sure why that day came so vividly to mind. It turns out Loki had a trick up his sleeve then, though. After he poured himself out to her, Loki demanded Gamora do the same thing, too. Gamora had never opened up to anyone before, especially not Loki. The stories she told Loki were of her missions. So Gamora had refused in the beginning, after all, _he_ was the prisoner and she was his captor. Loki couldn't order her around.

But Loki kept pressing so much, not speaking about anything else but gently nudging her every day until her visits to Loki were no longer enjoyable. So she'd finally cracked, and told Loki everything.

She told him about how Thanos killed her parents in front of her, and about the terrible tortures she'd endured at his hand. Loki was a very good listener, in Gamora's opinion. He didn't make encouraging noises, nor did he give her looks of pity and sympathy.

Loki just nodded impassively as Gamora told him. And the more she told him, the more Gamora wanted to tell him, because it made everything feel better after she spoke about it.

Okay, now Gamora was getting distracted. She shook her head, and briskly walked over to Loki's cell.

She threw it wide, eyes flitting across the room as her dark eyes strained to find Loki's green ones. The problem was…Loki wasn't there.

It mightn't have been a big thing, because Thanos most likely had Loki. Gamora probably would have left and come back later, if it hadn't been for the dead Chitauri guard lying on the ground.

Again, it would not have been a big deal, because the Chitauri killed each other all the time. Really, it was pathetic. But this killing was different, somehow. The blade used to kill was driven into a vital organ cleverly, one that would've killed the Chitauri before he could make a sound.

It wasn't Nebula's knife embedded in the Chitauri….it was a much more delicate knife, of a strange style she'd never seen before.

Gamora grimaced, the answer coming to her right away. _Loki._

She knew it was her duty to stop Loki, and Gamora turned to go find him.

—

It wasn't hard to find Loki.

He was standing in an open spot, and he'd noticed Gamora even before she arrived. "Ah, my room service," Loki said nonchalantly. Gamora hissed through her teeth.

"Loki, don't do this," she said almost pleadingly. "You don't know how many Chitauri are out there—you'll never make it out alive. And Thanos will punish you _severely_ if he finds out you escaped. If you had a chance of escaping, then yes, I would've helped you out of this hellhole! But there isn't a way. So _come_ with me, Loki, and I swear I won't speak a word of this to anyone."

Gamora said all this in one breath, and she meant it, too. And she could tell Loki knew that.

"It sounds very convincing, Gamora," Loki said, voice tinged with regret. "But I have my own reasons in doing this, and I'm sorry I can't accept your generous offer."

Loki quirked an eyebrow at her as Gamora stiffened. Then Loki _lunged._

—

Gamora reacted quickly. She ducked, locking her legs around Loki's and sending the two of them crashing to the ground. They had a sort of catfight on the ground, before they shot up back to their feet.

It didn't take long for Gamora to realize something. There was no way this fight would ever end, because Loki and Gamora fought the _same._ Her weaknesses were his weaknesses, and her strengths were his strengths.

Loki figured it out too, and he laughed aloud with Gamora joining him, even while they were in the midst of a deadly, graceful fight. It was amazing, sort of like fighting the perfect sparring partner you never knew you had.

"This is very fun and all," Loki commented, "but I have things to do and places to be, you know? Pardon me if I use a bit of my tricks." He winked at her, and Gamora got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Then she froze, because in a flash of emerald light, there wasn't just _one_ Loki standing there. There were _multiple_ Lokis standing there, all smirking at her with the familiar sly, mocking smile gracing his? their? lips. Gamora blinked at them, regretfully realizing that she didn't know which one was the _real_ Loki.

But Gamora knew instantly what to do. She somersaulted to the end of the row of Lokis, until she was standing next to the perfect row. _Too_ perfect, and that perfect row would be Loki's downfall.

Gamora threw the knife at the first Loki with all the force she could muster, and the knife quickly ran through the first dozen Lokis, vanishing them in a burst of green light. But at the very end of the row, the knife stopped, caught in Loki's hand.

It was Gamora's turn to smirk at Loki, but it didn't last long. Another knife thrown from a different angle was being thrown at her, and Gamora froze, tensing her body as she got ready to dive away.

Things were happening too fast for Gamora to think. Suddenly Loki was leaping at her, flinging the two of them to the ground as the knife danced away harmlessly.

The two of them, tangled together, rolled around in uncomfortably close proximity until they rolled to a stop, Loki pinning Gamora down. He was so close, his breath hot on her face, with their lips only inches apart. Gamora thought he was going to kiss her, and maybe Loki was.

Of course, if Nebula hadn't ungracefully whacked him on the side of the head with a gun.

"Nebula!" Gamora said harshly as Loki crumbled to the ground. Nebula eyed him impassively.

"He'll awake in a few minutes," she dismissed. "Come, let's take him to Thanos."

Gamora was still confused. "Were _you_ the one who threw the knife at me?" she demanded. Nebula shrugged, and Gamora felt a tinge of annoyance at how nonchalantly she was taking the whole thing.

"I knew you'd dodge it," she said carelessly. "Now make yourself useful, and go grab the little prince."

—

When Loki awoke, he didn't seem annoyed by the turn of events.

On the contrary, he seemed delighted.

"We're going to Thanos?" he questioned, and when Gamora nodded her assent, Loki grinned smugly. But he wasn't in much of a position to look smug. He was walking in between Nebula and Gamora, hands cuffed tightly behind him. But Loki was smiling like mad.

Gamora and Nebula stopped as a Chitauri general stepped in front of them. "Move, you _vile creature,_ " Nebula spat. Nebula obviously had no love for the Chitauri.

But the Chitauri stood his ground. "Thanos demands to see the prisoner. _Alone_ ," he answered stiffly.

Well, that wasn't much of a surprise. Thanos probably had some _special_ treatment for Loki.

Nebula shoved Loki forward, and somehow he managed not to stumble. "Have fun, Laufeyson," Nebula mocked, turning away. Gamora paused, feeling guilt sink like a stone in her stomach.

She met Loki's eyes for a moment, before the Chitauri dragged Loki away. "I'll see you tomorrow," Gamora called out weakly.

If Loki was _alive_ until tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

It was over a week, and Gamora still hadn't seen Loki.

He wasn't in his cell, and Gamora had checked multiple times a day. A strange hope rose in her throat when she opened the door, only to be replaced with the dull ache inside when it proved to be Loki-free. It was ridiculous, really.

Gamora had to face the truth. Loki was most likely dead.

She shook her head, walking down the hall. Gamora had pressed Nebula gently to see if she had answers for Gamora, but Nebula just mocked her saying, 'Why the hell are you so fond of that pile of skin and bones?' Truth be told, Nebula had always been sensitive to anything about Loki, ever since that conversation they had that Gamora overheard.

She purposefully elbowed a Chitauri walking in the opposite direction, taking out her bad humor on him. The Chitauri didn't bother to defend his honor, but stopped and called after her.

"Lady Gamora!" The Chitauri called after her. Gamora stopped, then whirled around on a heel, scowling darkly at the Chitauri.

"What?" she snapped irritably, hoping the Chitauri would give her a reason for Gamora to kill him. Taking some Chitauri blood would take a bit of the edge from her.

The Chitauri, unfortunately, sensed her black mood. "General Loki was looking for you," he said stiffly, as though the words left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Gamora's jaw dropped. Loki was _alive_? She tried to clamp down on the exhilarating feeling of joy in her stomach, and lowered her head to hide her shining eyes. But _General_ Loki? Why general? And if Loki was alive, why wasn't he in his cell? Was he just wandering about? Gamora needed answers, and the one person who had answers for her was Loki.

"Funny, I was looking for him, too," Gamora said dryly. "Where is he?"

"Just down that bend," said the Chitauri, pointing, before hastily hurrying away.

Gamora forced away the questions that demanded for her attention, and instead hurriedly walked over to the sharp curve in the hall. Loki wasn't _actually_ there, she doubted.

She walked briskly down the bend…only to run straight into the very person she was looking for.

 _Loki_.

Gamora froze, staring up at him. Loki did not look worn or tired at all, on the contrary, he looked as though he'd just stepped out of a hot shower.

Loki looked _different_ , somehow. He still had those alarmingly sharp cheekbones, those poisonous green eyes and the rumpled black hair, and a familiar smirk was twisting his lips. But the dull, weary acceptant look on his face was gone, replaced by a rejuvenating, cunning, strategizing expression.

He was dressed differently, too. Instead of his usual green tunic, Loki was dressed in full battle armor, an armor style Gamora had never seen before. It was all sturdy leather, oak-green and black cloth, and burnished gold. Strangest of all, was a golden helmet that had two, long curved horns protruding from either side.

But what _really_ caught Gamora's eye was the scepter in Loki's hand. It was curved inwards, colored a dusty golden with the end sharpened so finely that it could be used as a spear. But in the center of it, was a round, glowing, swirling blue stone. It contained an unearthly, radiant glow that caused shivers up and down Gamora's spine.

Gamora's eyes were locked on the scepter, but Loki's eyes were locked on Gamora. She finally dragged her gaze reluctantly from the blue gem, and looked Loki in the eye.

"You're not dead," was all she could think to say. Gamora hated the way she had to look up to meet Loki's eye. They would almost always sit down together, and the room was half in darkness, so Loki's height was never visible. But now, Loki drew himself up, and he was at least 8 inches taller than her.

Loki's smirk deepened. "I've noticed," he answered, eyes twinkling. He seemed to notice her surprise, and he shamelessly enjoyed it. Gamora frowned at him.

"Take off that illusion," she told him, and Loki raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think this is an illusion?" he questioned. Before Gamora could stop him, he reached out and grabbed her arm tightly. Taken unawares, Gamora wrenched her hand free with more force than necessary. But his grip had seemed firm, solid, and reliable….so not an illusion, then.

"But, Thanos…" questioned Gamora weakly, but Loki shrugged it off.

"Long story," he said vaguely. "And I have places to be and things to do. Come on, I'll explain on the way."

Gamora wasn't used to being pushed around like that by _Loki_ of all people, but she really needed to know _what the hell was going on,_ so she went along with it.

Loki didn't speak for a while, and they strode on in complete silence, footsteps in perfect unison. Gamora kept her cool, while inwardly she was bursting with unanswered questions and rage at Loki, who seemed oblivious to her internal struggle.

Gamora didn't want to seem _desperate_ for answers, just mildly curious. But she couldn't take anymore of this, so she opened her mouth to speak.

"So?" she asked, glancing sideways at him. She felt proud of the calm, collected tone her voice took.

Loki blinked, as though he just remembered she was there. "Ah, yes," he said serenely, making Gamora want to punch him in the face. "I said I'd tell you what's going on, right?"

Gamora gritted her teeth, _swearing_ he did it on purpose. "Correct," she said firmly, letting her facade of faint interest fall. "And you'd better tell me this damn instant, or I'll kill you myself, general or no general."

Loki arched an eyebrow, lips quirking up in amusement. "Then I'd better tell you quickly," he said wryly. His tongue darted out and wet his lips as his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Do you know what an Infinity Stone is?" he asked suddenly, and Gamora searched her brain. Infinity stone, infinity stone…she _sort_ of remembered someone mentioning it to her. But she didn't know what it was, and Gamora didn't like acknowledging ignorance.

Loki seemed to pick up on that, and instead of calling her out on her lack of knowledge on the subject, he just bowed his head and described it. "It's a sort of, ah," he frowned, "I'm not entirely sure how to describe it to a non-magic user. Let's just call it a powerful group of stones that basically bind together reality."

"Sounds important," Gamora said dryly. "Well, what about them?"

"Thanos is hunting them," answered Loki, with a faint undertone of _No surprise there._ "And he has his eyes set on an Infinity Gem in Midgard." When Gamora gave him a questioning look, he supplied, "You might also know it as Earth."

"Terra," Gamora said in understanding. The home of the underdeveloped humans, why, they couldn't even travel from one planet to another. Her stomach churned suddenly. This was starting to begin a terrible pattern.

Many planets, in the past, had had things that Thanos wanted. Badly. And when Thanos wanted something badly, and you had it, you'd better watch out. Gamora winced mentally. Most of _those_ planets had ended up as a burned shell, a fragment of what it used to be.

"What is Thanos doing, then?" Gamora prompted when Loki failed to continue. Loki was staring at her strangely, an unreadable look in his dark green eyes.

"You might not like this much," Loki murmured. "I forgot how softhearted you are." Immediately, a flare of annoyance and rage rose up in Gamora.

"I am _not_ softhearted," she snapped, tone incredulous. "And you should know, too. I've _told_ you about all the people I've killed on my missions. That makes me softhearted?"

She expected a fight or an argument out of Loki, because there was nothing Loki liked better than verbally sparring with someone. But Loki's face just held an expression of weary acceptance.

"You said it, not me," he muttered. "If you start going all _Thor_ on me…."

Then Loki straightened up, meeting her eye so Gamora could see the raw truthfulness shining there. "Thanos needed someone to get the Tesseract for him," he said. "Someone intelligent, and someone suspendible. You or Nebula was completely out of the question—he heavily relied on you to do his dirty work for him." Gamora inwardly flinched, for she hated that description of herself. But it was fully, one hundred percent true.

"Imagine his delight in finding _me_ ," Loki went on, "a clever, capable sorcerer who had a terrible grudge against an ally of Mid—Earth. I needed revenge, and Thanos needed the Infinity Gem. So he decided to make me his general."

"I'm following all this," said Gamora, "but one thing doesn't make sense to me. If he planned to make you his general from the start, why was he torturing you?"

"To test me," said Loki, with a practical coldness that almost made Gamora flinch. "He never wanted to know about the passages into Asgard, and I figured that out a while ago. He was testing my durability, and whether or not I would fail him." Loki laughed bitterly. "And, of course, to give me a fresh fear of disobeying him."

Gamora's jaw dropped open. What a terrible, twisted plan…but it was pure _Thanos._ Only he would think up something so deranged and cruel. "How did you figure _that_ out?" she asked in disbelief.

Loki now didn't meet her eyes. "Because it's the exact thing _I_ would do," he said without emotion, and Gamora wasn't sure what to think of that. It horrified her, repulsed her. Why unnecessarily torture someone like that, just to gain their fear and to test them? Gamora would torture if she could gleam information, but not just _because._

Then another thought struck her. Was this what Loki meant when he said she was soft-hearted?

"Oh," said Gamora, unable to think of anything better to say. There was an awkward silence, before Gamora spoke again. "So what are you going to do now?" she asked.

"I'm not finished," Loki said finally. "I'm not just getting the Tesseract from Thanos. I demanded something in return." Loki paused before his next statement, and Gamora froze, muscles tensed.

"Thanos…he promised me Midgard," said Loki. "He said he'd give me a portion of his Chitauri army, and with it I could defeat the planet and rule."

Gamora stopped in her tracks, and Loki stopped too, turning towards her, awaiting her response. "You're going to attack a _planet_." She simply said it, voice flat and toneless. Loki nodded his affirmative.

"Aye," he answered. Gamora rubbed her eyes wearily, and Loki couldn't hide the surprise from his face.

"You aren't going to lecture me?" he asked, and Gamora couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"What good would it be?" she countered, voice resigned. "It's not like you're going to listen to me, anyway." Gamora slumped against the wall. "But Loki," she asked, " _must_ you do this? Is it necessary?"

Loki's vivid green eyes bored into hers. "You were listening," he said abruptly. "That day, when I was speaking to Nebula. Through the new security cameras. You were listening, weren't you?"

There was no denying what day Loki was talking about. Gamora didn't bother asking _how_ he figured it out, but nodded. "Yes," she replied, wondering where he was going with this.

"Then you _know_ why I need to do this," Loki said, leaning over. His face was inches away from hers.

Gamora had no effective reply, but stared back at him. "Just, just _consider_ what you're doing here," she said at last. "Think of what's at stake."

"I already have," said Loki, voice as cold and hard as ice. Then he turned and walked away, green cloak swirling behind him.

—

"I guess this is goodbye."

It had just been one day since their last, tension-filled conversation. Loki had send word to Gamora that he was leaving, and though she tried to talk herself out of it, the assassin had been unable to refuse his request to see her.

"I guess so," Loki answered her. He had already began the process to make a portal to Midgard through the Tesseract, and had said the process would take a little under three minutes.

Less than three minutes, to say their goodbyes.

"Stay safe," said Gamora finally. "try not to get yourself killed."

Loki cracked a smile. "You know me," was all he would say.

Silence again. Gamora resisted the urge to bounce on the tips of her toes as the tension grew. What do you say, in an instance such as this?

"I..should leave now," said Gamora, because there was nothing left to be said. She doubted she'd see Loki again, but neither of them were the emotional type, and there was a low chance of there being a tear-filled, last conversation between them.

"Wait," Loki called after her, and Gamora felt a smile creep on her face unwillingly. She knew what was coming.

"Room service," he said, "aren't you going to come get your tip?"

There was a sudden whirlwind of air around her, and suddenly Loki was standing in front of her, faces inches away from hers. He was still taller than her, and Gamora had to look up to meet his eye.

"What _is_ the tip?" she asked stupidly, because at this point, Gamora had no idea what Loki wanted her to do. Loki's lips curled into a smirk.

"Whatever you want it to be," he answered, and Gamora stilled at the heavy implications under that simple, innocent statement.

Now, Gamora knew it was time to face her feelings about Loki.

What were the facts? Gamora liked and admired Loki, his sarcastic, witty way of speaking, his intelligence, and the similar views they shared on pretty much most things. She genuinely enjoyed his company, would even take pleasure in it. He was handsome, too. With a face made of porcelain and those intense green eyes, it was impossible to _not_ say he was attractive. Loki was good-looking, very much so.

Did she like kissing him? Yes, the answer was. It was fun and felt good, too, but there wasn't anything _special_ about his kisses. Gamora didn't crave them, she didn't dream about them. If it was another guy on the other side, it wouldn't make a difference to her. The kiss would still feel arousing if a random guy at a bar was kissing her.

She didn't _want_ him sexually. At least that's what Gamora thought. The things that were said about sexual, romantic love, they didn't apply to her. She didn't desire him, nor did she want his touch or want him to hold her. She didn't fantasize about him, and his gaze didn't arrows pools of desire within her. But Gamora genuinely liked him, and she liked bantering with him too.

But what if love was just exaggerated? What if that was how you were _supposed_ to feel when you were in love? Gamora had no idea, because she had never 'been in love' before.

Does she kiss him? Gamora settled on an instinctive hug, wrapping her arms around him. Loki stiffened instantly, but warmed into it, and hugged back hesitantly.

It was a gentle hug, and a hug was something safe to pick. A hug was something between friends, and it was something between lovers, too.

"Goodbye, Loki," she said, and Loki stopped at the portal, turning to meet her eyes one last time. Then he bowed his head gracefully in acknowledgement of her.

Then he turned around, and stepped through the portal.

—

 **A/N - Are you thinking: Is there a sequel to this? Oh my gosh, what happens next?**

 **Well, I'm here to tell you…..Yes. And they even put a movie form to it. Surprise, surprise. It's called the Avengers.**

 **Okay, enough of the sarcasm. Writing about Loki is starting to change my personality, even my family mentions it.**

 **ANNNDDD I'm DONE with my story! Finally! I'm starting a new fic called Strange Alliances starring Loki as usual, I'd love it if you checked it out!**

 **And have a Merry Belated Christmas and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


End file.
